FAMILY HOME EVENINGS FOR MARCH

All below are original ideas except the potatoe and sugar lesson, which has been done many times and in many ways. I do not know the original creator of the idea. If anyone knows, I would like to give the credit here.

Family Home evening on Living the Gospel.

Preparation

1. Get a large pitcher or bowl, preferably glass but not necessary.

2. Place 14 potatoes to fit to the top. (Less if not a container big enough)Pour sugar over the potatoes until all fills the entire container to the top.

3. Remove potatoes and wash and dry.

4. Tape or pin shamrock shaped papers onto the potatoes, with these words on them.(you may use this as a pattern)

5. Hide potatoes with words and scriptures around the house (on napkins to keep clean).

Family Home Eve. Lesson

1. Song : "I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus"
2. Prayer:
3. Family talk
4. Open by having each person hunt for two or three potatoes, (according to how many family members there are). Have them remove the shamrock and give the potatoe to you for later demonstraition.
5. When all have gathered shamrocks, begin letting them take turns reading the important gospel principle and then read and look up the scripture on the back. (little children can be told what word is on their shamrock and read the scripture and explain what it means in simple terms) (They can be coloring there shamrocks while the other members in the family finish)
6. Explain that because of the scriptures we know that it is important to live these gospel principles, in fact it is essential! But sometimes it seems that there is not enough time in each day to do everything asked of us.
7. DEMONSTRATION :
a. Show family the bowl or pitcher of sugar, tell them that it represents the things people must do each day: to keep clean, eat, exercise, play, work, earn money, learn, go to school etc.
b. Tell them that the potatoes represent the things the Lord wants of us (we read how they were important) for us to make it back to him.
c. Tell the family members to try to fit all the potatoes in the bowl. (if done right the potatoes won't all fit). See how hard it is to do everything the Lord wants?
d. Take the potatoes out. Pour the sugar into another container.
e. Put the potatoes in the bowl first, and explain that if we do the things the Lord asks of us first, He will bless us. Pour the sugar over potatoes. (It should all fit). And we will be able to do all that is required in this life and in the next to come, fitting it all in.
f. Closing song: "Keep the Commandments"
g. Closing prayer and blessing on the food.
(if you do this lesson early in the evening you can bake the potatoes and set out all different kinds of toppings like; sour cream, ranch dressing, grated cheese, bacon bits, vegetables of choice. A salad and roll make for a great Irish dinner. For desert make your favorite sugar cookie recipe or buy frozen dough to shape into shamrocks.

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Preperation and lesson using same order as above.

(The second lesson can be a take off from the first.)
1. Use the shamrock wordstrips and put in a container.After prayer and song of choice,
2. Have family members choose shamrocks out of the container ( so all have even amounts) .
3. Assign each member to look in the Topical guide, to find more scriptures that pertain to the words on their shamrock, that most fits how they feel about the subject they have.(little children can draw a picture of the subject they have)
4. When they are done, each member read their scripture or show their picture.
5. Song and prayer,
6. Desert... Green vinegar potatoe chips.
a. slice potatoes thin,
b. dip in green water color and vinegar
c. pat dry with paper towel
d. spray cookie sheet with cooking spray, then lay the chips out in one layer on cookie sheet. spray them with the cooking oil and salt.
e. bake at 400 until golden brown.

Preperation and lesson using same order as above.

Buried Treasure

1.Get something to make a pot of gold,(An old pot would work or a bowl), or even an old chest.
2. Make a rainbow out of construction paper. Get your children to make it before family home evening. On the rainbow, put:

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21 Search the pot o'gold for true treasures..

3. Cut the rainbow into puzzle shapes and give one to each family member as family night begins.
4. Have the pot o'gold setting in the middle of the floor. After song and prayer and family discussion, have family members tell what the word treasure means to them, one at a time. (Accept all answers.) Have them put their puzzle pieces together in front of the pot of gold. And together read what it says.
5. Have them one by one pick a treasure from the pot.
(treasures in the pot could consist of a rock sprayed gold or a piece of fools gold, A pearl, or pearl neckless, A fake diamond or ring with a stone in it. A dollar, coins. and several papers folded.Let your family know that the papers have things on them that money can not buy.
6. On the papers write; family, love, testimony, eternal life, joy, peace,
7. If they pick the sparkling things , tell them that rocks have very little value eternally, money can't buy love, families are gifts from God etc.
8. Read these scriptures; Prov. 10:2, Prov.15:6, Eccl. 5:10, Luke 18:22, Matthew 6:19-20, Matt. 16:26
9. Song: Where Love Is , There God Is Also
10. Treat; Buried Treasure.
a.in a glass baking dish put peanuts or favorite nuts. and gummy worms
b.pour chocolate pudding, over nuts
c.put crushed oreos over the top so it looks like dirt.
d.put an ice cream cone on top with green frosting to look like a pine tree.
e.make a little paper teasure map and place on top.
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Preperation and lesson using same order as above.

Have a family fun night by having an Irish night.
Decorate with shamrocks, rainbows, and Leprechauns. Have the kids help. Follow some of my links to some great Irish pages of tradition and recipies. Visit Ireland via the Library or video. Play Irish music, and Dance an Irish Jig. Look up Irish ancestors, or if you have none look up famous Irish people. Find out how St. Patrick's day started. Hunt for shamrocks. Have fun !

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